Why Wind Fences Are Essential for Effective Stockpile Dust Control
Contents:
How a Wind Fence Makes Things Better: Spotlight on Tarpaulins & Foam-Based Stockpile Covers
Everyone Likes Dessert
How a Wind Fence Makes Things Better
Dust & Dessert?
The world of industrial dust control can be compared to a dessert display case filled with all manner of confectionary. There is no shortage of options to choose from and each choice comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Some desserts are better than others, and sometimes, two desserts are better than one. The same can be said for industrial dust suppression strategies.
Consider the crème brûlée and fondant of dust control: foam-based covers and tarpaulins. These dust suppression solutions control dust by creating a protective covering over a stockpile to prevent dust generation and erosion. As effective as they might be, these controls are not without their drawbacks.
Foam-based covers are like the crystallized sugar top on a crème brûlée. These “tops” are created by combining water with a foaming agent to create a foam barrier on dust producing areas such as stockpiles. In a perfect environment, they are effective for days or weeks before reapplication is required.
When you eat a crème brûlée, you take a spoon and tap it on the top to break the crystallized sugar and expose the creamy custard filling.
Wind is the spoon for foam-based covers on stockpiles. Wind can cause cracking, fracturing, displacement, lifting, or otherwise breach the encrusted coating to expose the stockpile material underneath. The outcome is not custard; it is erosion and dust.
Tarpaulins on stockpiles are like the fondant covers on fancy cakes that you see in the dessert display case. Like fondant, tarpaulin is smooth and flexible and provides a protective covering for stockpiles.
When you eat a fondant covered cake, you use a knife to cut through the protective layer to reveal the cake inside.
Wind is the knife for tarpaulin covers on stockpiles. Wind can “cut” through tarpaulin coverings to cause flapping, lifting, tearing, anchor failure, and environmental wear. Not to mention, you must avoid opening them up on a windy day lest you risk material loss and your tarpaulin being blown away. Once you cut through this “fondant”, the outcome is not cake; it is exposed stockpile material, erosion, and dust.
Wind Fences – Foam Based Covers & Tarps – Carousel by Claire Cowie
How a Wind Fence Makes Things Better
While these “desserts” are sweet enough on their own, they tend to become stale in windy conditions.
Waiting around for the wind to subside isn’t exactly an option for efficient operations, nor is constantly having to reapply costly foam to stockpiles. This presents a drain on resources, pocketbooks, and operations; it also poses health and safety risks. Fear not! There is a perfect pairing: a custom WeatherSolve wind fence.
Integrating a wind fence with current foam-based covers or tarpaulin dust suppression strategies can maximize their effectiveness. By erecting a porous wind fence, a wind-reduced area or “sheltered zone” is created on the leeward side of the fence. Depending on fence placement and porosity, wind speed can be decreased by around 80% or so over localized areas and around 50% over larger areas. To learn more about how a wind fence works, visit our website at www.weathersolve.com.
Translation? Reducing wind speeds means substantial cost savings. Here’s just a few examples of those savings:
- Reduced material loss
- Reduced application frequency for foam
- Reduced operational downtime to replace or reattach tarpaulins
- Reduced dust (and all of the issues that ensue)
- Reduced BTU losses for coal piles
- Reduced consumption of foam and water
- Improved employee health and safety etc…
- Reduced equipment and machinery damage
WeatherSolve has extensive experience optimizing local environments thus improving the performance of tarpaulin and foam-based covers on industrial sites. Our fences help optimize their performance leading to better protected stockpiles, cost savings, and optimized dust control.
A wind fence truly does make things better.
Claire Cowie is a seasoned Quality Assurance Manager with over two decades of experience in healthcare and manufacturing. Her career began in pharmacy, where she led teams and honed her skills in quality management systems. As she transitioned to the manufacturing sector, her unique background combines a deep understanding of policy and quality assurance with a keen eye for quality control.
Claire has been instrumental in implementing and cultivating a comprehensive quality control program within WeatherSolve Structures. She has successfully integrated her pharmaceutical background with manufacturing best practices, particularly in areas such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ISO 9001 standards. Her unique blend of experience continues to drive innovation and excellence in her role.